An apparatus and method for forming a film hole in an outer wall of an airfoil. The film hole includes a blind opening adjacent the interior of the airfoil and a hole adjacent the exterior of the airfoil. The blind opening fluidly couples to the hole to form the film hole for providing a volume of fluid as a surface cooling film along the exterior of the outer wall.

An apparatus and method for forming a film hole in an outer wall of an airfoil. The film hole includes a blind opening adjacent the interior of the airfoil and a hole adjacent the exterior of the airfoil. The blind opening fluidly couples to the hole to form the film hole for providing a volume of fluid as a surface cooling film along the exterior of the outer wall.

The present disclosure generally relates to partial integrated core-shell investment casting molds that can be assembled into complete molds. Each section of the partial mold may contain both a portion of a core and portion of a shell. Each section can then be assembled into a mold for casting of a metal part. The partial integrated core-shell investment casting molds and the complete molds may be provided with filament structures corresponding to cooling hole patterns on the surface of the turbine blade or the stator vane, which provides a leaching pathway for the core portion after metal casting. The invention also relates to core filaments that can be used to supplement the leaching pathway, for example in a core tip portion of the mold.

The present disclosure generally relates to partial integrated core-shell investment casting molds that can be assembled into complete molds. Each section of the partial mold may contain both a portion of a core and portion of a shell. Each section can then be assembled into a mold for casting of a metal part. The partial integrated core-shell investment casting molds and the complete molds may be provided with filament structures corresponding to cooling hole patterns on the surface of the turbine blade or the stator vane, which provides a leaching pathway for the core portion after metal casting. The invention also relates to core filaments that can be used to supplement the leaching pathway, for example in a core tip portion of the mold.

A method of casting valve seat inserts comprises pouring molten metal into a gating system of a mold plate stack wherein mold plates are located between top and bottom molds wherein the gating system includes a casting header, down-sprue, horizontal sprue, up-sprues, runners, and gates in fluid communication with mold cavities configured to form the valve seat inserts. The method includes filling the mold cavities with the molten metal, and controlling solidification of the molten metal in the mold cavities by means of an outer thermal barrier which retards heat transfer in mold plate material between the mold cavities and an outer periphery of the mold plate stack. An inner thermal barrier can be used to further control solidification of the molten metal. Valve seat inserts produced using the thermal jacket molds can exhibit an improved microhardness distribution which provides improved machining and higher yield.

A method for fabricating a ceramic mold is provided. The method includes the steps of contacting a cured portion of a workpiece with a liquid ceramic photopolymer, irradiating a portion of the liquid ceramic photopolymer adjacent to the cured portion through a window contacting the liquid ceramic photopolymer, removing the workpiece from the uncured liquid ceramic photopolymer, and repeating the steps until a ceramic mold is formed. The ceramic mold includes a first opening for creating a cast article and a second opening for receiving a support member.

A method of casting valve seat inserts comprises pouring molten metal into a gating system of a mold plate stack wherein mold plates are located between top and bottom molds wherein the gating system includes a casting header, down-sprue, horizontal sprue, up-sprues, runners, and gates in fluid communication with mold cavities configured to form the valve seat inserts. The method includes filling the mold cavities with the molten metal, and controlling solidification of the molten metal in the mold cavities by means of an outer thermal barrier which retards heat transfer in mold plate material between the mold cavities and an outer periphery of the mold plate stack. An inner thermal barrier can be sued to further control solidification of the molten metal. Valve seat inserts produced using the thermal jacket molds can exhibit an improved microhardness distribution which provides improved machining and higher yield.

A casting method using combined 3D printed shell mold and the combined shell mold used in the method. The method consists of shell mold making and casting steps. The shell mold is constructed by combination. First, the 3D printer at least prints out a runner part and several pattern die parts for molding products. In the print run, the first interfaces corresponding to the quantity of pattern die parts are printed out integrally on the runner part. The second interfaces corresponding to the first interfaces are formed on the pattern die parts. Afterwards, the first interfaces and the second interfaces are butted, the primary runner in runner part is connected to the die cavities in pattern die parts, the runner part and pattern die parts are combined to form a shell mold for casting multiple products at a time.

A casting method using combined 3D printed shell mold and the combined shell mold used in the method. The method consists of shell mold making and casting steps. The shell mold is constructed by combination. First, the 3D printer at least prints out a runner part and several pattern die parts for molding products. In the print run, the first interfaces corresponding to the quantity of pattern die parts are printed out integrally on the runner part. The second interfaces corresponding to the first interfaces are formed on the pattern die parts. Afterwards, the first interfaces and the second interfaces are butted, the primary runner in runner part is connected to the die cavities in pattern die parts, the runner part and pattern die parts are combined to form a shell mold for casting multiple products at a time.

A molding method of a sand mold including a hardened layer in a predetermined thickness range from an outer layer part, includes: forming a cavity and a filling opening of a die so that a dimension, which is a largest dimension between two intersections of straight lines passing through a section of a boundary portion between the cavity and the filling opening of the die, with respect to an outside line of the section, is less than a predetermined ratio with respect to a thickness dimension of that part of a product portion of the sand mold from which a blowing opening molded in the filling opening projects, the product portion being formed by the cavity of the die; and filling foamed sand into the cavity from the filling opening of the die.